Suddenly It Was Over
by GuardianOfChaos
Summary: This is another post-third impact story that continues the story with a little twist character wise. What will Shinji do with this new world? This will be an ongoing fic. So stay tuned. ^_^
1. All ends bring new beginnings

Suddenly It Was Over  
By: Justin Green  
Disclaimer: Of course I do not own any of the Evangelion charcters. If I did own them   
then the series would not have become the great series we all know it as. ^_^  
  
  
Suddenly it was over.   
  
Everything that was happening to the world stopped and he awoke. He opened his eyes to a dark   
sky scattered with clouds and stars. Shinji felt the warm sand on his arms as he lay there   
hearing the sounds of waves crashing upon shore.   
  
'Where am I?'   
  
'What happened?'  
  
His head turned and he saw a sea of red. The blood red sea from where Lillith/Rei had bled into   
the waters. He blinked and as if reading his thoughts he saw Rei floating just above the see   
looking at him just as she had on the first day he arrived in Tokyo-3. For once since he woke   
up he felt at ease to just see her there. He blinked again and she was gone along with his   
calmness.   
  
Shinji finally noticed the other person on the beach. Asuka was wearing her plugsuit and   
lying just as Shinji had been. He did not even try to understand how she could still be   
alive; he just started to crawl towards her.   
  
Then he saw the bandages. She was bandaged just as Rei seemed to always be. One bandage   
over the eye and some on the arm. It reminded him of Rei and as he thought of Rei he thought   
of third impact. He thought of everything that had happened. He thought of how Misato died   
because of his cowardice. He thought of how the Eva series skewered themselves and how his   
Eva went through a somewhat mock crucifixion. How Rei took him and Unit 01 inside of her.   
He thought of how comfortable it was with Rei and how peaceful it was to be near her. He then   
thought of how that was all taken away from him because of the monster of Unit 01.   
  
All the anger and hatred that had been building inside him began to raise to the surface, and   
before he knew what he was doing he had straddled Asuka and was tightening his hands around   
her throat nearly drawing blood at the fingernails. She opened her eyes and looked at him.   
  
Shinji asked to Asuka in his mind 'Am I still an idiot!? Am I still a pervert!? Am I a coward!?'  
  
She slowly reached her hand up. Shinji expected her to slap him again and he closed his eyes in  
reflex. Then he felt her hand slowly run against his cheek and he opened his eyes in shock.  
  
"I feel sick." Was all she said.  
  
Shinji slowly loosened his grip. He got up and he ran. He couldn't be there. He had to get   
away. He didn't care why Asuka was sick or what she was going to do. He just had to get away.   
He ran along the beach with his feet pounding the sand. He kept running to the edge of what   
remained of the city. He stopped running due to him being out of breath. He walked along the   
edge of the city until he reached one of the hills that lined the outskirts of what used to be   
Tokyo-3. At the top of the hill was a house right in front of the woods. For some strange   
reason he knew that the house was a safe place. That he could hide away in this sanctuary. He   
climbed to the top of the hill slowly and pulled aside the door. The house was in perfect   
shape. He couldn't understand how it survived third impact, but he didn't care either. He   
walked to the couch in the middle of the room and laid down upon it and fell asleep.  
  
It was then that another person came into the room from another part of the house and a smile   
came across her lips as she saw him.  
  
**********  
  
He tossed and turned in his sleep. The images of third impact still in his mind. He called   
out in his sleep for the only person who was ever able to comfort him.  
  
"Ayanami.... Ayanami...Rei..." he almost sobbed. He missed her so much that it hurt.  
  
"Yes?" She said as the blue haired girl placed her hand on his.   
  
Shinji jumped up in shock. "Ayanami!" he yelled. His eyes began to swell with tears of   
happiness. She was back. His angel had returned to him. He couldn't contain his joy anymore   
and wrapped his arms tightly around her as if he believed she would vanish forever if he let go.   
  
Rei didn't know what to think at first as she felt Shinji embrace her tightly and a blush   
spread across her face. It felt very pleasant to her. She cared deeply for Shinji whether   
she showed it or not. She really just didn't know how to express her feelings that well. As   
she continued to be held by Shinji, she did the only thing she could think of and wrapped her   
arms around him as well.   
  
They both stayed like that for another minute in the quite little house before Shinji's mind   
finally caught up with him and he realized the position he was in. He let go of Rei and backed   
away bowing and repeating "I'm so sorry Rei!" He stopped when he reached the edge of the couch   
and placed his hands in his lap looking down.   
  
"It is ok Shinji." She said addressing him by his first name as he had addressed her, already   
missing his warm embrace.  
  
"Um...Rei?" Shinji asked as he looked up at her beautiful face.  
  
"Yes Shinji?" She asked, her crimson eyes staring deep into his dark blue ones.   
  
"What has happened to the world?"   
  
"Third impact has occured." She replied.  
  
"I know that, but what does that mean? What is this world?!" He pleaded with her.  
  
"This is the world as you wished it to be. You desired a world where you could live in peace   
with those you cared for. This is that place although it is somewhat distorted. Third impact   
was never able to complete because of Unit-01's separation from Lillith."  
  
"But weren't you part of Lillith?"  
  
"Yes I was, but I was mostly a small part of her conciousness. I did not have much control.   
Plus as you can remember I was a little preoccupied with you."   
  
"Oh yeah," Shinji said with a slight blush from the remeberance of being with Rei. Then   
another question dawned on him. "What about Kaworu? He was there with us."   
  
"And I am still here with you." Said the white haired boy as he stepped through a doorway.   
"Good day Shinji. It is good to see you once more." He smiled at Shinji and looked kindly   
at him with his eyes of red.   
  
"Hello Tabris." Shinji said unsure of what to believe.   
  
Kaworu continued to smile as he always seemed to "Please Shinji. I no longer go by that name.   
Thanks to you and Ms. Ayanami I am no longer an angel. I am as human as the rest of the   
populous."   
  
"Rest of the populous?" Shinji asked with a pussled expression on his face and his brows   
furrowed.  
  
"Yes the rest of the populous as I was going to explain before I was interrupted." Rei told   
Shinji as Kaworu just shrugged and smiled at her. "This is your world Shinji, and although   
you often do not wish to be around people for fear of what they will think of you, you still   
needed them to exist in this world for your sake and others."   
  
"I think I am beginning to understand somewhat." Shinji told his two pale companions. "Oh no!  
I forgot all about Asuka!" Shinji jumped off the couch. "She is still down there at the beach.   
We need to go down and get her."   
  
The group proceeded to rush out the door and head down to the beach with Shinji in the lead.   
The sky had become darker than it was before and the stars shone bright in the sky.   
  
When they reached halfway down the beach Shinji saw her there laying down on her stomach with a   
trail of footprints leading behind her. It seemed as if she had tried to get up and walk only   
to fail after barely making fifteen feet. 'You always were stubborn' Shinji thought to himself   
as he dropped to his knees beside her with Rei and Kaworu stopping rght afterwards.   
  
Rei rolled Asuka over onto her back and placed two fingers first at her neck and then at her   
wrists. "She has a pulse, but it is very weak. We need to get her back to the house   
immediately."   
  
Shinji was about to pick Asuka up off the ground when Kaworu did it first. "You have done   
enough work already. I'll carry her back."   
  
Shinji nodded to him in agreement and they all headed back to the house.   
  
*******  
  
Once they had arrived back at the house they placed Asuka in a room and Rei proceeded to use   
the medical knowledge she had gained over the many years in the hospital to do what she could   
to help Asuka. Shinji and Kaworu sat in the main room in silence. Shinji stared at the tv   
trying to understand why they would need a tv if the stations were all gone.   
  
After about thirty minutes Rei came into the room to see Kaworu sleeping in a chair still   
smiling 'How does he do that?' She looked towards Shinji who sat with his head down and   
holding the cross that he had gotten from Misato and wrapped around his neck earlier. She   
sat on the couch next to Shinji who looked up at her and smiled sweetly. 'And how does he   
do that to me?' she thought as a pleasant sensation filled her at the sight of Shinji's smile.   
"She will be ok. She just needs some rest. As do you." She said placing her hand on his   
shoulder. "There is a room for you down the hall."   
  
"What about you Rei?" He asked with concern in his voice.   
  
"I will sleep as well Shinji. Do not worry about me." She told him in response.  
  
"I can't help but worry about you Rei." He said as he got up and headed down the hall leaving   
a blushing Rei sitting on the couch and his own face turning somewhat red as well when he   
realised what he said. He reached the room and wasn't surprised at all to the fact that it   
was an exact duplicate of the room he had in Misato's apartment. His thoughts drifted to his   
young guardian for a while before sleep finally overcame him and he laid down for the night.   
  
***************  
Thus ends the first of my little continuation. I hope you ejoyed it as much as I did.   
Please R & R ^_^ thank you.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Enlightenment

Suddenly It Was Over  
Disclaimer: All of the legalities still apply and I don't own any of the characters nor the show. and now on with part 2  
  
The Gathering  
  
Shinji awoke in his room lying on his side on his bed. He instinctively checked the alarm clock not thinking that there wouldn't be any power. After giving an exasperated sigh he lifted himself up in bed sitting on the side wearing the same clothes as the day before being his school uniform. 'Pretty pointless to have a uniform now. maybe I should wear something else for once.' He got a watch that he had kept in one of his drawers out and hoped that it still had the correct time on it. According to his watch it was about 4:50 a.m. and as he looked out the window into the darkness across the remnants of the city he guessed it to be about right. He went to his closet slowly and opened the doors and chuckled slightly at the many school uniforms he already had. Luckily he still had a few outfits that he could wear. He put on a pair of loose jeans and a light blue dress shirt. He also grabbed his SDAT recorder out of a drawer in his desk and placed it in his pocket. Listening to the music on it always managed to soothe him and relax him. It was one of the few things in the world, aside from Rei, that truly made him happy. He then proceeded to walk softly down the hall so as not to awake the others.   
  
Because his room was located at the end of the hall he had a while to go. He looked into the first room he passed. It was a very small room with not many decorations. A stereo was placed on the left side of the room upon a small desk turned off for the moment. A bed lay right beside the desk and on that bed lay the white haired Kaworu. Shinji was still unsure as to wether or not he could still accept Kaworu's friendship after he betrayed him when he tried to merge with Adam. Although in the end Kaworu gave himself up because he found that it was Lillith not Adam all along, the betrayal still hurt Shinji. Kaworu had made up for most of his actions during third impact. He always acted like a guide and helped Shinji understand what was happening during the end of it all. He would just have to wait and see what else this white haired boy might do.   
  
Shinji continued to walk down the hall and looked into the next room he passed. It wasn't as dark as the rest of the rooms thanks to some moonlight that came in from the window. The moonlight hit the bed and the blue haired figure lying on the bed perfectly making the image look heavenly and so fantastic that no artist could possibly fully express the image with a brush. 'She always looks so beatiful in the moonlight. Like the angel she was and the angel she will always be to me.' He leaned against the doorway and watched her like nothing else in the world existed but her. He watched her breathe in and out her chest rising and falling and without realising it he had adjusted his breathing until he breathed in turn with her. He smiled softly at her and almost in repsonse Rei smiled in her sleep as well. He suddenly felt weak in the knees at the sight of her smile. It made him feel so good to see her rare smiles even if it wasn't directed towards him. It took him a little while to muster the strength to leave her and continue on down the hallway.   
  
As soon as Shinji left Rei opened one of her eyes looked towards the door. She rolled onto her side and snuggled close to her blanket and smiled sweetly feeling warm all over.  
  
Shinji reached the next room and was almost hesitant to look in for fear of what he would see. He managed to finally lift his head to look at the person in the room. Lying in the bed asleep with her hands at her side was Asuka Langley Souryu. Shinji stil felt bad for what he did earlier. Although she was often mean and cruel to him, there were some rare times when he could actually have a normal conversation without being called an idiot or a pervert. It was in those rare times that Asuka's shield of security dropped and her true personality showed through. Deep down Shinji knew that Asuka was his friend and that he was hers. He was also worried for her as well. As long as he had known her he had never truly seen her actually injured bad. He shut the door to her room softly so that she wouldn't be disturbed later when everyone else woke up and continued down the hall.   
  
Shinji silently opened the front door to the house and stepped outside into the somewhat dark a cool morning. He sat down on the wooden porch edge and looked out over the land below them. He had been too pre-occupied before to notcie the scenery around him, but for now he had time to actually take a closer look. What took up most of the veiw was the lake that had been formed when Rei sacrificed herself to save Shinji during the battle with the 15th angel. The lake still had a slight red hue to it from where Lillith's blood had mixed with the waters. It was not quite as dark a red as yesterday so it looked as if the waters would soon return to normal. Sticking out of the red waters were remnants of some of the Tokto-3 business towers. Their windows blown in or blown out and huge chunks of the buildings just missing as if someone struck them with a strong hammer. Shinji felt bad for the architects who had spent so much time planning the buildings to protect them from destruction against angel attack only to have them end up as ruins in the end. Shinji recalled how beautiful a site it was to see the buildings sink below ground at sunset and rise back up at sunrise. He remembered how even a few times he had seen Rei enjoying the beautiful site. He also remembered some of the cherished times when he had joined her in watching the buildings rise and fall, and although the never really said much to each other Shinji just enjoyed being there with her. He smiled fondly at these memories. Shinji follwed the edge of the lake and then looked beyond it. Not too far from shore were roads and smaller buildings that had decorated the outskirt's of Tokyo-3's hills. He looked down at his watch and noticed that dawn was soon approaching and he stared out towards the horizon.   
  
He then heard soft footsteps approach him from behind and he jumped up quickliy turning around startling the crimson eyed girl that stood before him. Shinji stood their for a while watching Rei regain her composure. She wore a long flowing blue dress with no sleeves that clung to her form perfectly, not too tight and not too loose. As always she looked perfect in his eyes. He then realised that he was staring when a slight blush came across Rei's face causing one to appear on his as well. "Sorry about that Rei. I guess I am still a little jumpy from everything that has happened." He concluded while sitting back down and looking back at her.   
  
"It is ok Shinji. I would say it is understandable considering the events." She looked down at him and motioned towards the spot on the porch next to him, "Is this seat taken?" She asked him.   
  
"It's your house. You don't have to ask me permission for anything that you desire." He smiled at her sweetly.   
  
She sat down beside him awfully close causing Shinji to shift in his seat a little and blush slightly as well. "You are incorrect Shinji. This house belongs to all of us. Not just me." She turned to smile at him and then turned back to look at the horizon. "It is almost time. This bring backs fond memories for me. What about you Shinji?"  
  
He turned to look at her profile. "Yes. They were wonderful times. I'm glad we can once again relax a little like we did then." He looked at his watch and back out over the edge of the hills. "Here it comes." He said smiling gently.   
  
The sun began to rise over the hills lightening the forests below. The sunlight shone across the lake reflecting against the surrounding scenery. The sky went from its dark blue to a multitude of hues of red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue making for a wonderful site. "It is very beautiful" Rei said while continuing to look out.   
  
Shinji turned and looked at the side of her, smiled, and said softly, "Yeah. beautiful." He stayed like that looking at her radiance as the sun creeped slowly over the horizon casting its life giving light across the worn land. It wasn't until he found himself looking straight into Rei's eyes that he realized he was staring at her yet again and he turned his head sharply the other way with his flace flushing slightly. He then proceeded to trun his head again to look at her only to find her still staring at him as he had done. Shinji blinked a couple times, but continued to look at her as she did the same and the blush remained on his face as he gulped.   
  
Rei reached out a hand towards him and touched his face softly resulting in Shinji smiling softly with his eyes closing and relxaing against her touch. "Why do you do that?" She asked him softly.  
  
Shinji opened his eyes with reluctence, not wanting to end this moment. "Do what?" He asked her in response as her hand left his face and he sighed inwardly in disappointment.   
  
"Why do you turn your face red?" She asked tilting her head slightly to the side.   
  
Shinji laughed slightly and placed his hand behind his head. "It's not something I can really control." He smiled at her. "It is just a reaction of the body. It's called a blush."  
  
"A reaction to what?" Rei inquired of him.  
  
Shinji laughed nervously again not quite sure how to answer. "Um..well...it is a reaction to embarassement I guess." He finished saying while looking towards the floor of the wooden porch.   
  
Rei looked at the spot where he was looking and then looked back up at him. "Do I embarass you Shinji?" She asked hoping the answer would be no.  
  
"Not at all Rei!" He said startling her as he looked up at her instantly.   
  
"That is good is it not?" Sheasked him smiling that small sweet smile of hers.   
  
"It is very good. When you're embarassed it means your in an uncomfortable situation. I don't think you could ever cause me to be uncomfortable Rei." He smiled back at her.   
  
Rei could feel the blush come across her pale skin. "I see now." She said as she touched her face. "It is not really an unpleasant feeling."   
  
"No. It isn't is it?" he replied to her while standing up and gazing out over the remnants of the valley.   
  
Inside the house Kaworu leaned against the wall listening intently at the two peoples conversation and chuckled to himself. 'cute. very cute'   
  
***********  
  
Shinji stood there for a while gazing at the ground and occasionally stealing a glance in Ayanami's direction. As he looked back out over the shores of the beach his eyes doubled in size at what he saw. "HEY!" he yelled out causing Rei to jump slightly and Kaworu to come running outside. "There are people down there!" He pointed down the hills at the beach near the lake. He looked at Rei questioningly.   
  
She looked up at him with a look that seemed as if she did something wrong. "I guess I forgot to tell you. Although this is your world, your world is identical to how it was before Third Impact comenced."  
  
"Um...What exactly does that mean?" He asked of her with a puzzled look on his face.   
  
Kaworu looked towards him and spoke up before Rei had the opportunity to. "Basically Shinji it means that, with the exception of a few minor details such as myself, the house we are living in, and a few other things, everything is how it was. Everyone is still alive and going about their lives oblivious to the fact that Third Impact ever happened. The only ones who remember it are those who had a key role in Third Impact like you."   
  
Shinji interrupted him, "Does that mean that Misato is still alive!?" He asked with hope filled eyes.   
  
"Yes. Shinji. Misato as well as the rest of the Nerv personnel are still alive." Rei answered him.   
  
He cluched the cross that hung over his neck that he had gotten from her as tears surfaced in his eyes. He wiped them away as he smiled in happiness.   
  
"There is one more thing though Shinji." Kaworu said with slight reluctance as he tried to avoid seeing what Shinji's expression would be with the news he was about to tell him. "As Rei said, everything was restored to how it was before Third Impact. This means that Nerv, The Eva's, and Gendo Ikari were all brought back as well."   
  
Shinji's expression changed dramatically and he fell to the floor slumped against the wooden porch beam. He looked as if his tears of joy were about to turn to those of sadness. He was crushed. Those things he hated most had returned. The demons he fought with for the last year were back. He didn't know how to handle it all. It was overwhelming. All he could do was sit there wide-eyed. It wasn't until he felt an arm be placed around his shoulder that he snapped back to reality.   
  
Rei sat down beside him and placed her arm over him. She then put her hand on his head and layed his head upon her shoulder to try to comfort him. She closed her eyes enjoying the moment just as much as he was.   
  
'So comfortable' They both thought simultaneously.   
  
"As much as I hate to interrupt you to little lovebirds." Kaworu interrupted causing Shinji and Rei to separate reluctantly while blushing furiously. "We have a little business that must be taken care of post haste."   
  
"Business? What business?" Shinji asked still tryng to recouver from Rei's embrace.   
  
Kaworu watched as Rei stood up and headed inside and then looked towards Shinji with his always smiling face. "We need to head to the belly of the beast. We must go to Nerv and confront Gendo himself."  



	3. The Awakening

Suddenly It Was Over  
Disclaimer: Sorry this one took me so long. With school ending, starting work, and working on   
an experiment of mine I haven't had much time. Also I being the gamer I am and all the games   
being released they have been keeping me busy. Plus being the crappy writer I am I got stuck   
with what to do and I didn't want to keep making such short chapters. Anyway, all of the   
legalities still apply and I don't own any of the characters nor the show. and now on with   
part 3 and yes it is another short one. Sorry. ^_^;  
  
The Awakening  
  
Shinji remained outside and sat upon the porch as Kaworu and Rei went inside to prepare for   
their trip. He looked towards the ground contemplating as to what he would say to his father   
when he confronted him. He had not known him all his life and was still angered greatly by   
what he tried to do. It was his fault that Shinji was not with his mother where he belonged.   
He was the one who caused the world such grief. After doing everything that he did to prevent   
the angel from causing Third Impact, he himself tried to do it for his own reasons. His   
insatiable quest to get Yui back was both selfish and unreasonable. Although Shinji would have  
wanted his mother back he would not have wanted to put the world through all that to do it.   
Even the world did not remember what happened and is returned to how it should be it does not   
make up for what he tried to do.   
  
Shinji got up and headed inside the house. He looked around the rooms and saw how they looked   
for the first time lit well by the sunlight that flooded in through the window. It reminded   
him much of Misato's apartment. The walls were a yellowish color and there were not many   
decorations or furniture about except for a few tables, some plants, a couch, and a chair or   
two. He sat down on the couch to wait for the two red-eyed children to come back. As he sat   
there relaxing and letting his mind wander to random thoughts he heard a faint noise coming   
from the other room.  
  
"Shin...ji...Shinji..." the weak voice said barely audible to Shinji's ears.  
  
'Asuka?' Shinji thought to himself unsure at first that it was her voice because he had   
rarely heard her speak softly. It wasn't until the voice called out again only slightly louder   
that he rose from his place on the couch and headed to the source of the noise. He walked   
quickly towards the room that held a sleeping Asuka earlier this morning. He entered the room   
that was still dark because the shades had been drawn down upon the window in order to give   
Asuka the rest she needed. In the bed still wearing the plugsuit from before was Asuka. She   
sat up and leaned on her elbows weakily and was looking at the bandages over her arm with her   
one good eye. Shinji hurried to the bedside and sat down in a wooden chair that was alongside   
of it.   
  
"Asuka. I'm here. Are you all right? You should probably lay back down, it can't be   
good for you to sit up so quickly in your condition."  
  
"Shinji." She said blatantly to him as she continued to cast her face downwards to her arm.  
  
"Yes?" He asked as looked at her face and followed her gaze to her arm as well.  
  
"Shut up. Don't talk so fast your giving me a headache even worse than the one I have already."   
She said as she rubbed her forehead and then looked at him with her unbandaged eye.  
  
"Sorry." He said to her casting his face downward towards the floor. "But how do you feel   
Asuka? Can you at least answer me that please?" He kept his face focused on a point on the   
cold wooden floor.   
  
"How do you think I feel?" She rhetorically asked as she took a big breath and exhaled it   
through her nose. "I feel like shit. I can barely remember what happened. The last thing I   
can remember was fighting the Eva Series and my Unit-02 losing power. The rest is a blank to   
me." 'You know that's not true Asuka.' Her mind seemed to tell her. 'You remember being on   
that beach with Shinji on top of you, his hands around your throat as if you were the source   
of all misery in the world. You realized that was for at least some part true. You put him   
through hell more often than you thought. You may have meant well in the long run thinking   
you could make him stronger, but he didn't know that. You looked at his beautiful face and   
gazed into his eyes. The only thing you could do was raise your hand and caress his face.   
You told him you felt sick. You didn't tell him that it was the look on his face more than   
anything else that made you feel sick. The pain you were feeling physically was nothing   
compared the pain you felt in your heart by looking at that face filled with hate and sorrow.   
He ran from you as your skin touched his for the first time without anger behind it. He left   
you there weak and helpless. You tried to get up to follow him but only managed to fall   
short.'   
  
Shinji looked at her face and saw a true expression of what almost seemed like fear and he   
could tell she was thinking about something that scared her. He was about to tell her what   
happened. How she had fought the Eva-Series and lost in the end. How they tore her Unit-02   
to shreds and killed her in the process. But as he looked at her face he decided he would   
rather not do that right now.   
  
Asuka lifted her head up and gazed about the room for the first time since she had awoken.   
"Where are we Shinji?" She intently asked him as her fingers tan back and forth across her   
bandages subconciously.   
  
"Oh. Yeah. We are in a house just on the outskirts of Tokyo-3." 'I forgot she doesn't remember   
what happened on the beach.' He looked at her and smiled a somewhat crooked smile.   
  
She looked towards the window as she continued her inquiry still a little unsure of her   
surroundings. "How exactly did we get here, and whose house is this.?" She continued staring   
at the covered window seeing that the sun's light was struggling against the window shade to   
light the room.  
  
He looked at her and thought about how he would answer her. He did not want to tell her about   
the events at the beach just yet, but not being the master of deception he decided he would have   
no choice. With much reluctance he began to explain the grueling details of how Third Impact   
occurred. He went through everything step by step only leaving out the part when he was with   
Rei. 'That is a moment for only me and Ayanami.' Then Shinji finally began to explain what   
happened on the beach not knowing that Asuka knew full well what had happened. "I saw you   
lying their Asuka and I lost control. All the anger I had been keeping inside of me was   
released. I couldn't stop myself. Without even realizing it I was trying to hurt you. I   
wanted to hurt someone." The warm tears reached his eyes and began to slowly travel across   
his cheek almost causing Asuka to cry herself. "And then, when you reached up and touched   
me, all my anger went away. And I ran. I realized what I was doing and I couldn't stand it   
so I ran. I ran all the way to here. That is where I found them." He told her as he wiped   
the tears from his eyes and began to calm down.  
  
"Found who?" She asked softly as he regained his composure and she relaxed some happy that   
he had stopped crying.   
  
Just as she asked the question, Rei Ayanami walked with silent footsteps into the room. "Hello   
pilot Sohryu. I am glad to see you are awake."  
  
Asuka looked to her and opened her mouth to say something but held back. Instead she just with  
a "hello first child," and looked back towards Shinji. "Well that answers part of my question,   
but you said them. Who else was there? You said everyone was brought back. Does that mean   
Misato is here as well?"   
  
Shinji watched Rei stand against the wall and caught her gaze and looked into her eyes a wile   
before adressing Asuka's questions. "Misato is alive and somewhere near Tokyo-3, but she was   
not the person who was with Rei. Kaworu Nagisa is the other person that is here."  
  
"Oh. I heard about him," she said with a little arrogance in her voice, "He took over for me   
as pilot of my Unit-02 for a while. I never met him, but there was no way he could have done   
a good enough job to truly replace me." She laughed slightly causing Shinji to smile at seeing   
her as her old self again. She then got a dizzy from the blood rushing to her head at her   
sudden movement and fell back towards the bed with a soft thud.   
  
"Are you ok Asuka?" Shinji asked urgently.   
  
Asuka opened her eyes and looked at him. "Yeah. I'll be fine. I just got a little dizzy is   
all." She sat back up taking care to move slower so as not to have a repeat incident.   
  
"You should refrain from rapid movements pilot Sohryu." Rei said while remaining at her place   
against the wall.   
  
"Yeah yeah wondergirl I got it." She said with a little content in her voice at thinking she   
was being treated as if she was weak.   
  
Shinji looked towards the blue haired girl whom Asuka referred to as wondergirl 'she sure is   
wonderful' "Perhaps we shouldn't go today. Maybe we should stay here to make sure Asuka is   
all right." The brown haired boy asked her as she turned and gazed at him with her piercing   
red eyes.   
  
"Although I too would like to make sure Asuka is all right, this can not be delayed Shinji."   
  
Hearing Rei refer to Shinji by his first name instead of the usual pilot Ikari caused Asuka to   
furrow her brows slightly.   
  
"This is to important of a task to wait any longer." Rei finished telling Shinji as she looked   
at his face waiting for a response.   
  
"Wait a second you two. Just where the heck do you think you're going?" Asuka asked them as   
she placed her hands on her sides waiting for a quick response.   
  
Shinji looked back towards the ground and was about to speak up before Rei beat him to it. "We   
are going to Nerv to speak with Gendo Ikari about the current situation and what to do about   
it."   
  
A simultaneous thought entered both the second and third children's minds 'She didn't refer to   
him as the commander!?'   
  
Asuka turned to Shinji who was looking at Rei with a slightly confused look. She realized how   
important this was whether Shinji did or not. "Go Shinji." She said strongly.   
  
"What?" He asked as he turned and looked at Asuka who had a very serious expression on her   
face.   
  
"You heard me you idiot. This is something you have to do. I am not a weakling either that   
needs 24 hour supervision. I can take care of myself. Now get out of here or I will kick you   
out physically." She said fiercely while pointing towards the door.   
  
"Ok. Ok. I'm going." Shinji said reluctantly while standing to leave. Almost instantly Rei   
was at his side to leave with him and this made him smile inwardly. "I am not sure how long   
we will be," He said as he turned to look back at Asuka as Rei continued towards the door and   
waited for him. "but we will try to return as soon as we can." With that said he left along   
with Rei and headed down the hall leaving the red headed one alone once again.   
  
"Good luck Shinji. I hope you find what you are looking for. And above all else. Please return  
to me safely." She spoke softly to herself and then laid back down and tried to sleep.   



End file.
